THE PORT AUTHORITY OF NY & NJ

Press Release Article

AS REGION BRACES FOR ANOTHER SNOWSTORM TONIGHT,
PORT PROVIDES CRITICAL SUPPLY OF ROAD SALT
TO HELP BATTLE HARSH WINTER WEATHER

Date: Jan 14, 2004Press Release Number: 3-2004

Imports of Road Salt to New York Region Rise 171 Percent

Imports of road salt – a valuable commodity in high demand as the region struggles through a harsh winter season – rose sharply at the Port of New York and New Jersey in 2003. That’s good news for state and local road department crews who will rely on this supply during tonight’s snowstorm, which is expected to dump up to six inches of snow.

More than 2.5 million metric tons of road salt – enough to fill approximately 89,000 trucks or approximately 32,000 rail cars – was imported into the port between January and October of 2003, a 171 percent increase over the 946,000 metric tons imported during that same period in 2002.

The road salt is imported from Chile, the Bahamas, Mexico, the Netherlands Antilles and Egypt.

Port Authority Port Commerce Director Richard M. Larrabee said, “The port is a driving force in the region’s economy, attracting international shippers with goods like road salt that consumers need. As we prepare for what promises to be a rough winter, imports like road salt are a perfect example of the critical role the port plays in the everyday lives of those who live and work in the region. When commodities such as road salt, beverages, clothing and furniture come into our port, it helps satisfy the needs of millions of consumers, and also stimulates the regional economy.”

After the salt arrives in the port, it is stored by private companies that lease space at the marine terminals. State, county and municipal transportation departments contract with independent truckers to periodically pick up the salt and deliver it to their facilities.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey operates many of the busiest and most important transportation links in the region. They include John F. Kennedy International, Newark Liberty International, LaGuardia and Teterboro airports; AirTrain JFK and AirTrain Newark; the George Washington Bridge; the Lincoln and Holland tunnels; the three bridges between Staten Island and New Jersey; the PATH (Port Authority Trans-Hudson) rapid-transit rail system; the Downtown Manhattan Heliport; Port Newark; the Elizabeth-Port Authority Marine Terminal; the Howland Hook Marine Terminal on Staten Island; the Brooklyn Piers/Red Hook Container Terminal; and the Port Authority Bus Terminal in midtown Manhattan. The agency also owns the 16-acre World Trade Center site in Lower Manhattan. The Port Authority is financially self-supporting and receives no tax revenue from either state.